Monday, December 8, 2014

Its a LOVE story baby just say yes (and I did)

In December of 2013, exactly a year ago, I was 17 years old…a 17 year old girl who had never had a boyfriend and never even kissed a boy. Writing this, exactly a year later, I am engaged, and not to just anyone, but John Luke Robertson…the most incredible and loving young man I have ever known. Yes, in case you were wondering it blows my mind too! How in the world could this happen? Who could have ever imagined this? Well definitely not me, but I can tell you who could. God. It was definitely by the grace and goodness of God that I am where I am today, and I am who I am today. He had such a greater plan in mind then I could have ever even dreamed of!
It all started in the summer of 2011 at King’s Camp in Mer Rouge, Lousiana. This particular Christian camp had been a part of my life for many summers, but this was actually John Luke’s first year to attend. You see, his family has their own church camp in the same area that they help run, and so JL spent most of his time in the summer there helping life guard and lead the younger children. So it was kind of a big deal that he was leaving his usual camp! Totally a God thing. This was pre-Duck Dynasty John Luke, by the way! I was going into my sophomore year at Delhi Charter and JL was about to start his freshman year at Ouachita Christian. There were boy cabins and girl cabins, and one of each would pair up together, and it must have been fate that our cabins happened to be together. So throughout the week we got to know each other through fun and games, all the while having our focus on God as we both learned more about Him and grew in our personal walks with Christ.
Our first real one-on-one conversation happened as we both represented our team by competing in (of all things) a wall-sit competition. To get our mind off the pain we just started talking. He told me about his sister, Sadie, and little did I know that one day she would not only be my sister-in-law, but my best friend.
         The week finally came to an end and we said our good-byes. To be honest, nothing more than a sweet friendship came out of that week. Of course I thought he was a cutie, but he was a grade under me and that was weird for a 15 year old to even consider (I had no idea he was actually older than me!). As the second semester of my sophomore year came around, my parents decided they wanted my sister and I to transfer schools. So my junior year we finally made the move that my dad had always hoped and prayed for to Ouachita Christian, also known as, OCS, also known as John Luke’s school. What a crazy thing that was! Not only were we moving to a school where I could count the people I knew on one hand, but also moving into a temporary house an hour away from our real home and everything we had ever known.
Not long after I had sat down by myself in homeroom on my first day, in waltzed John Luke Robertson (with a broken arm) like he owned the place…I mean, he had gone to OCS since he was three! As we caught up, another “God thing” happened…we got placed right beside each other in the seating chart. Crazy, right?! Due to him having a broken arm, he was very limited in what he could do in school. That next week he asked if I could help him write a paper since he physically could not. Next thing I know he was at my house for so long one afternoon that I basically had to push him out so I could go to sleep! Due to other relationships though we could not even consider dating and I accepted that fact. It was simply not in God’s plans at that moment, so we made the best of our friendship by telling stories everyday in class and “helping” each other with schoolwork (basically him copying my homework when he forgot to do his). Not to mention, we had so many awesome conversations about Christ and gave each other spiritual advice.
Throughout that school year and into the next, our friendship grew and, subconsciously (or maybe even consciously) our feelings did too. But I would not admit that I liked him, because honestly I had made myself believe that I didn’t for the sake of someone else. BUT along the way, John Luke ventured into a mission with me! We were determined to grow my youth group at my old, small-town church, so every Wednesday night we would make the hour drive to Delhi together to introduce new songs and discuss the Bible. Due to crazy schedules and massive amounts of homework, we just couldn’t afford to drive two hours every Wednesday, so that mission had to come to a halt. So it really only made sense that I start visiting his church! By the winter of 2013, he was openly pursuing, but funny enough I kept turning him down. We had a few awkward months, but in the meantime Sadie and me were becoming really close. (Disclaimer: mine and Sadie’s friendship had nothing to do with mine and John Luke’s relationship).  So you may ask, “hmmm… how in the world did they end up engaged?” Well as soon as he gave up and moved on, I realized just how crazy I was! I saw that everything that I had prayed to God for in a guy was standing right in front of me. I had 100% confidence that God would bless my faithfulness to Him, because I would settle for nothing less than God wanted for me. The Lord was telling me “Dear child, you are about to miss that blessing that I have so evidently placed in your life?” After admitting to Sadie that I liked him, I did what I had to do. JL and I had a heart-to-heart where I came clean and told him how I really felt about him. Well the shoe was on the other foot now, and I think he knew that! Instead of professing his love to me, like I would have hoped for, he put me on hold for a few weeks. Man, was that a humbling experience! But eventually he came around and within the month we were “official”. He never really asked me to be his girlfriend… the conversation went more like this:
Me: “So, John Luke, are we like dating?
JL: “Well, I like what we’re doing…”
Me: “Yea, me too…”
JL:  “I mean, if we were at school and you walked in front of me and my friends, I would be like ‘yep, that’s my girl!”

So that is how that went down. March 15. The “Ides of March”. Or as Sadie likes to call it “The Iddies of March.” When asked, we say we started dating on “The Iddies.”
         I graduated high school as a barely 18 year old. Summer began and before me knew it, we had become world travelers together. I mean we hit up everywhere: California, Washington, Canada, a million places in Italy, Dominican Republic, and Virginia…all in a few months. While at home we picnicked, we rode bikes, we took the boat out on the lake, we swam, we “hammocked”, we watched a million movies, and we even went sailing. I would count my first summer romance as a success.
It didn’t take us very long at all to say “I love you” and honestly talk of marriage came faster than I ever could have expected. But as I say…when you know, you know! When summer came to an end, I moved an hour away to go to college, but actually was only 30 minutes from JL’s house. I didn’t even make it through one quarter of college before he decided to propose. But I could not be happier.
         October 11, 2014. The day John Luke turned 19! We had been planning for a huge celebration at his farmhouse with both of our families and close friends (seriously, how did I not see this coming?). As I drove to his house, for some reason or another, I began to pray. Oblivious to what was going to happen later that evening, I felt the urge to pray for both mine and John Luke’s families. I arrived early at his home so we could ride together to his party and also so he could open his presents from me. The house was empty as we sat together in his family room and he unwrapped his gifts. Now looking in hindsight, he did go through those presents rather quickly! Sitting on the table was a photo album he had made completely full of pictures of us… from when we first met at King’s Camp to the previous weekend when went to a festival in Austin. We laughed so hard as we flipped through the pages! I finally came to the last page as he leaned over to “put his shoes on”. There was a handwritten note stuck on the page and as I read it, it finally struck me what was going on. I noticed a page had been taped down, John Luke assisted me in flipping the page, and there was one more photograph. It was a image of the most beautiful ring I had ever seen (John Luke actually found a ring I had pinned on pinterest and took it to his cousin who is a jewelry-maker…together they went by that and designed a one-of-a-kind ring). I looked up to find him on one knee, holding the ring out, and he said “Mary Kate McEacharn, will you marry me?” Despite my shock, I managed to say yes…and then say it again about twenty more times to get my point across! As we walked outside, our youth group had made a line from the house to his jeep, while firing roman candles and cheering for us. We listened to his “She said yes!” playlist as we made the drive to the farm where we were welcomed by family and friends who were screaming and cheering while holding sparklers and hand-made posters!
         That night was a night I will always remember and actually the proposal was caught on a video camera that was secretly set up by sneaky JL. It was such a wonderful celebration filled with live music, fireworks, food, cake, dancing, singing, praying, lots of laughter, and even tears of joy. Our friend Ben Rector even came and performed! But best of all is we got to share it with all the people who mean the most to us.
         Being engaged has been awesome and we are counting down the days until the wedding in June. Although our families couldn’t be happier, we have received some flack for deciding to get married so young. So many people think we are not ready because we are not fully grown. But the thing is…we realize that. We don’t claim to be ready and we do not claim to be grown yet…we just decided that we want to grow up together. We want to experience this exciting part of both of our lives together! With God as our leader, we know that we can make it. A lasting marriage doesn’t depend on your age, it depends on your love for God and your love for each other, and your willingness to make it work. I honestly could not be more excited to spend the rest of my life with John Luke Robertson.


Mary Kate McEacharn (Soon to be Robertson) 

38 comments:

  1. Dear Mary Kate,
    Your story is sweet and so special! I know you are in the spotlight so much, but your beautiful soul and love for Jesus shine so much brighter than any fame or worldly glitter could. Your story is such a testament of God's faithfulness and was an encouragement to me this morning. Best Wishes to you and your man as you take this next step in God's plan for you. In Him, Esther

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  2. ♡ amazing, thank you for sharing!!

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  3. This is beautiful! Made me cry of happiness/cuteness haha. Best of luck to you in your future marriage :)

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  4. Congratulations! I respect your decision to marry young, as I think it is a long-lost tradition, and it is beautiful. I pray God would bless your marriage together, and your families. :)

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  5. Praise the Lord! The last paragraph is my favorite... it is so easy for us all to get caught up in the world standards and opinions but as you said, with God as our leader, it doesn't matter if we are 17 or 57 when we get married. As long as we are doing things God's way, He will work it all out for our good. Wish you all the best.

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  6. Your story is so so sweet. :) I know how you feel! I've been with my husband since I was 14 (but we actually liked each other since I was 10 - crazy I know haha) and we got married this year in April! I'm 21 now but honestly I would've married him the minute I turned 18 if I could have. People still think that we are too young to be married but like you said, when you know, you know! :) God's plan for everyone is different. In fact, if I hadn't started dating my husband I don't even know if I'd be a Christian now. He invited me to come to church with him when we started dating!
    Good luck with your wedding planning! I'm sure you're more excited to marry each other than the actual wedding - I know that was the case for us! :)

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  7. You're right, age doesn't matter all that much. Y'all are adults! And you have great support systems. I'd strongly suggest reading, "When Sinners Say I Do" together. It's very practical & theologically sound. All the best!

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  8. I love your story! I am of the Christian faith and I was married young, 19 to be exact and I got a lot of flack for it. It has now been nine years and three beautiful kids. I put my faith in the Lord and I am truly blessed!

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  9. Married at 19 and my wife and I are coming on five years on June 5th. Met at Freshman orientation at East Texas Baptist University and never looked back. We knew God was going to handle it the way He wanted to.

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  10. I'm nineteen and my husband-to-be is twenty, so your story is very encouraging to me! Thanks so much for sharing. I'll be praying for you both as you move forward.

    Carolin

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  11. I was 21 and we're going on 12 years. When you know, you know. All that matters is that Christ is the center of your union. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it. www.familyfishbowl.blogspot.com

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  12. This is just so sweet! Very similar to mine and my husbands love story! He was my one and only boyfriend! We got married young too! We were both 20, young and in love. We've been married almost 3 years now and are still as happy as can be because we love Jesus first, then each other! And get this, we started dating on March 15 too! :) and married on March 10 four years later! Don't let others opinions get you down! As long as you seek The Lord and follow his will, no one else's opinion matters! Congrats to you both! I wish you both a happy and wonderful life and marriage together! GodSpeed!

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  13. I love this SO much!!! What a beautiful story!! ❤️❤️

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  14. Our stories are very similar :) My husband and I met at Bible camp when we were 12 and we were also assigned to the same team and that's how we became friends. We got engaged when we were 18 and married shortly after we turned 20. I heard all the same things about getting married young... and you know what? It was the best decision I ever made (apart from accepting Jesus). People throw rocks at things that shine. Keep living out your faith and being an example to the world! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and He will see you through everything. Getting married young is such a blessing. People go through all sorts of garbage in their 20's that you are excluded from if you are married. My husband and I have been married 5 years, and we think that the Lord has just poured his blessings on us because we got married when we did and were obedient. God bless you guys!

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  16. Absolutely Beautiful! I can't even come to words to describe how much I enjoyed reading this, but the fact that my eyes began to tear as I continued to read. I am so happy for the both of you. There's always hope that everyone's love story will be just as unique and beautiful in its own way. Congratulations! -Fan of Duck Dynasty and The Robertson Family!

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  17. 💖As a young lady I was too married at just barely 20 to an AMAZING man of Jesus. The Lord guided every step! When The Lord brought Justin into my life he not only brought me everything I ever wanted and asked for, but everything I also needed. We stayed pure, and because of that I truly believe there is favor!! We have been married for 12 1/2 years! We have grown up together, laughed, cried, screamed, prayed, and fought together. We too were judged and looked down upon, ect. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be one to marry young. I am SO glad I did! I love him more now then I ever have! Having The Lord in the center of my life, his life, AND our marriage, NOTHING can break it apart! Sometimes I wonder why God chose me to be so blessed in this life. But he rewards those who diligently seek him! And I truly believe we are reaping the good choices that we made! We have three beautiful children, God is opening doors for us and leading us into HIS plan always and can honestly say we are truly happy!! God IS love!! When he is in the center nothing can be broken!!! One book I recommend is called "Sacred Marriage" The subtitle says this, "what if marriage wasn't created to make you happy but to make you more holy" It's an AMAZING book! And worth reading before you get married and during! I am so proud of you and bless you and JL on this journey! Blessing 💞~Amy

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  18. I needed to read this. I've been wanting something like this, but looking for it instead of waiting for it.

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  19. What an amazing story!! God truly meant for you 2 to be together!! And I love that you said you want to grow up together :)! May God continue to bless your amazing relationship. I'm so happy for you!! By the way, I ordered John Lukes chapter book set for my son :)!

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  20. My husband and I were 22 when we got married ( a whol whopping year ago) and we got the same criticism, left and right! The only thin they didn't know is something the two of you and the two of us know without a shadow of a doubt is that God placed these people in our lives and he smiles down upon us!

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  21. Y'all's story is absolutely adorable, and very well written I must add!:) It's so awesome to hear about other couples getting married young! Especially when I personally don't know many. We were the first of both of our friend groups to get married and so it's really cool to hear about a like-minded couple with a similar story to ours. My husband and I met two and a half years ago and LA Tech's freshman orientation. We hit it off but I wasn't planning on being anything more than friends with anyone for at least a couple years. However, God obviously had a different plan!:) After a few weeks of getting to know each other, it was clear that we were both ready to take the next step in dating with the intention of marriage. We dated for 10 months before he proposed to me when we were both 19. And after a year of being engaged, we got married in August when we were both 20. Only 4 short months ago today. When you know you know!:) Let me just say, marriage is definitely one of the most beautiful, fun, exciting, challenging yet rewarding things that you could ever do. There is nothing better than being able to go home to your best friend every night and knowing that you will be loved cherished by someone officially for all of your lifetime. It's truly incredible and I could not be more happy for you guys. As for the people who question your decision, your response could not have been better said. "...It depends on your love for God and your love for each other, and your willingness to make it work." I love that and i love you guys! You are both such an encouragement with your outspoken faith and your example. Continue to do what you're doing and I pray that God blesses y'all greatly.

    -Breanne Mertz

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  22. If it's Gods will, it will all work out. My husband and I got married at age 18 and we too were told we were too young but we knew it was what God wanted. We did have to grow up a lot together but it has only strengthened our marriage. We have been married 8 years now and with God, our marriage has only got better. Good luck and may God bless you both!

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  23. Your story is such an inspiration, may God bless both of you💞

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  24. Beautifully said! I wish you both happiness and joy in your marriage. Lots of people like to judge, but live your lives for you and God. Thanks for sharing your sweet story that madee cry.

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  25. This is such a beautiful story! I know God has so much in store for your lives together!

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  26. Hearing your story is so encouraging! I love that you both tried/try to keep Christ as the center. So happy for you both and that you are wanting to live life God's way. I will be praying for blessings on your marriage and for a smooth, fun and blessed wedding.

    Mary Kate, I hope you will continue to post things, hearing about how God is working in your life is wonderful. You are a great example! :) keep it up! Congratulations to you and John Luke!

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  27. Thank you for being such a positive role model and a light for Jesus in such a dark world. When I got married I was 19 and my husband was 20. A lot of ppl thought we were too young. We've now been married seven years! You can make it!

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  28. I love this story, Mary Kate! My husband, Jonathan, and I met at Kings Camp in Mer Rouge as well! We were 9 & 10 years old. We were campers, of course, but became counselors and then the directors. Jonathan led worship every summer for 16 years! We married young and just celebrated our 18th anniversary. We have 4 beautiful children and pastor a church in Loveland CO. May God pour out His richest blessings on you and John Luke!

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  30. I was 20 and my wife had just turned 21 when we married 34 years and 11 children ago. A marriage centered on Christ where the husband sacrificially loves his wife as Christ loves the Church and a wife sacrificially submits to her husband's authority as to the Lord will be a successful marriage. I pray you continue to grow in your love for each other and your love for the Lord!

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  31. Thanks so much for sharing your story, I'm so happy for you guys!!! I pray that God would use you guys to prove all the naysayers wrong, that age has nothing to do with it, but that God has EVERYTHING to do with it!!! Blessings!

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  32. Very sweet story! Great Job John Luke :) Definitely a God Given couple!!!

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  33. Such a wonderful and heart-warming story!! With God at the center, you both can do absolutely anything together. God has blessed your relationship and I know you will both continue to be amazing examples of His love to the world - and that's definitely not based on age. :)

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  34. Congratulations from WV! As long as God is number one in both your lives and your marriage it will work! I was 15 and my husband was 17 when we met and I was 18 and he was 20 when we got engaged and married. Four beautiful babies and 12 years later we are happier than ever and growing in the Lord daily! A great book "the power of the praying wife" and a great series to watch in preparation for marriage is jimmy Evans "marriage on the rock". God bless!
    Facebook.com/lcreighton8

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  35. If Y'all love each other..... then I'm happy😁😁😁😁😀😀😀😀😀😊😊😊😊😄😄😄😄

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  36. My husband & I will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary on April 15, 2015. :) We met at church when we were tiny tots & then starting "going out" at 13 & 14. lol we were young, I know. So happy for the both of you!

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  37. Mary Kate,
    until you reach around 23 years old (and maybe not even then) you will always hear it from people who think they know it all. My husband and I got married a little over 6 months ago, and I am 19 and he is 21. I had so much pressure from some people in my family to not get married young, just because of the idea that age=maturity (which is SO not always true). What people don't understand is that the divorce rate is so high because so many things have changed and turned away from what God's plan for our lives look like ie: the woman being the head of the house hold, living together before marriage etc etc. And when we turn away from God's plan that's when our lives fall apart. The best marriages I have seen live their lives the way Christ intended it to be. They have the man at the head of the house, and their wife allows them to be by submitting to them on a daily basis. As long as you keep it the way God intended it to be, it doesn't matter if your 18 or 38. I dont care what anyone says, growing up together and experiencing life beside your best friend is the greatest gift God can give us. Good luck on planning the big day!

    Maleah

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